Chargers, San Diego to commence stadium talks

Posted by Mike Florio on March 29, 2014, 2:17 PM EDT

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The Chargers want a new stadium. They finally could be moving toward getting one. Without having to move.

Maybe.

“The Chargers are incredibly important to the city and the region,” new San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer told ESPN.com. “I firmly believe that it’s incumbent for everyone to work together. My main priority is going to be ensuring that any proposal that moves forward protects us as taxpayers here in San Diego. That will be my guiding principle. But I’m confident that we can achieve that.”

Those were Faulconer’s first comments regarding the Chargers since winning the office on March 3. He expects talks with the team to start in the near future.

“We’re certainly going to be beginning the dialogue soon,” Faulconer said. “Ultimately, it’s one that I’m convinced that has to involve the greater San Diego community. And I look forward to playing a role in that.”

“We’ve been in close contact already with the mayor’s office and are encouraged by the working relationship that has already been established,” said Mark Fabiani, the team’s long-time special counsel for stadium construction.

The team wants a downtown stadium. The public contribution would come from selling and developing the 166 acres that holds the team’s current home, Qualcomm Stadium, and another 100 acres of city-owned property that hosts the San Diego Sports Arena. The team and the league would also help fund the effort.

The goal would be to generate public money for a stadium without raising taxes. That may be easier said than done.

Then again, nothing has been easy when it comes to the Chargers’ stadium effort. The team has been trying patiently for years to replace a venue that no longer can attract Super Bowls. If/when the NFL returns to L.A., it makes sense for the Chargers to be the team to move — unless the Chargers can get the powers-that-be in San Diego to finally find a way to get a stadium built.

San Diego is a lame city. Pack up and move to the heart of Cali. LA Chargers has a nice ring to it.

barneyrumble says:Mar 29, 2014 2:41 PM

What is the current lease situation with Qualcom and the Chargers? Is the lease up or how many years left, is it year by year?

With the Bills staying in Buffalo for 6 to 9 more years, the Vikings getting a new place in Minnesota, and if the Chargers do indeed get a new place, then that leaves the Raiders coming back to LA or the Rams coming back to LA. Are the Jags secure in Jacksonville or are they destined for London instead of LA?

Of course a couple more earthquakes over the next few days and maybe no body wants to move to LA.

duck99 says:Mar 29, 2014 2:58 PM

This mayor was hand picked by the Real Estate developer who bought both newspapers and will be involved in the development of the stadium and more importantly the surrounding community. The current stadium is horrendous so this will be a good thing for the Chargers, but this is all about Doug Manchester and his henchmen.

As a die hard Raider fan, I hope that the Chargers get a new stadium that works best for the tax payers and fans in San Diego. If LA is going to get a team, it only needs one team thats not the Raiders or Chargers. In the end, 2 teams in NorCal and 2 SoCal.

Good luck with that. People already believe they are being taxed to death even though taxes are lower now than they were under Reagan. Yeah, I know it’s the State and city that taxes for a stadium, but people look at it all the same.

I’d love for these Billionaires to build their own playgrounds, but as we all know they find loopholes and maneuvers that the rest of the people have to fill up.

The real previous mayor (Sanders-who was termed out, not the “hands on” creep Filner) already laid the ground work. Sanders supported Faulconer in the run for mayor. I’ll bet Sanders is asked to help with this.

And to those Raider fans who like to yap about the Chargers NOT filling a stadium, check yourself. Your team NEEDS tarps and only has to sell 85% of the remaining seats. What a a fan base! Choo! Choo!

jayniner says:Mar 29, 2014 6:33 PM

The Chargers should be starting stadium negotiations with the City of Industry….

They could build it in the mayor’s back yard, since nobody comes to the games.
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And this is coming from a fan of a team that ranks last in attendance every year, plays in a baseball stadium, and has to cover half the stadium with hideous tarps.

I’ve never felt better about the Chargers getting a deal done than I do right now. I feel like Faulconer will be the one to get it done. GO CHARGERS!!!

They could build it in the mayor’s back yard, since nobody comes to the games.
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And this is coming from a fan of a team that ranks last in attendance every year, plays in a baseball stadium, and has to cover half the stadium with hideous tarps.
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Not every year. We were 29th in 2011. You can never take that away from us.

It’s lazy journalism to say the Chargers make most sense to move to LA. They actually were in LA and gave up their rights to the region with the AFL-NFL merger. The Rams still claim to retain the rights to LA as do the Raiders – and they won a lawsuit over it.

Anyone familiar with the Spanos family knows they are not LA people. They don’t want to run a franchise in the LA market and don’t want to sell a majority share – which is how AEG was originally going to get the Chargers to LA. That’s why they haven’t left despite a screaming indifference from the San Diego populace.

joetoronto says:Mar 30, 2014 4:34 AM

The Chargers have no fan base at all and the NFL wouldn’t miss a beat if and when that ringless hopeless team moves.

lance19 says:Mar 30, 2014 5:52 PM

Contrary to what you may have heard from random waterfowl, in San Diego the VOTERS actually select the mayor…

(if there IS a place in which mayors are
“hand picked by Real Estate developers”
this is news to us in SoCal)

Its funny how yall hicks talk smack about San Diego. You should be so lucky to live out here. Must have forgot about Lance, Fouts Winslow, Chandler, Jefferson, Muncie, Junior etc. Al Davis came from the Chargers like Bill Walsh who took Fred Dean an Gary big hands Johnson to help win their superbowls. So all you little be atches need to recognize. Did I really see a guy from Canada talk sh-t. Stick with the argoNOTS and your retarded 3 downs/stupid ass field dimensions. One week living in San Diego and you would never leave. I have been to about 30 Charger games and it is a day at the beach with a football game. HATERS